Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – With mounting or supporting means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-15
2004-07-13
Johnson, Blair M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
With mounting or supporting means
C160S196100, C160S330000, C160S352000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761205
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a barrier providing a method of, and apparatus for, regulating flow from a first location through an aperture to a second location.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For sites involving the passage of large number of people (such as an airport, supermarket or sports arena) there frequently occurs a need to cause a flow of people to pass in an orderly manner in a particular direction from a first to a second location There may also arise a need for a flow occurring in one direction for a given period to be reversed in direction for a subsequent period. There exist a number of ways of providing for directed flows. For example one or more moving walkways can be provided. Where a change in level exists between a first and a second location a number of escalators can be used with one or more passing from the first to the second location and one or more passing in the opposite direction. Where the direction of main flow needs to be changed the proportion of walkways or escalators to accommodate the changed flow can be increased.
When the scale of operations is reduced to allowing the passage of people from one location to another by way of a door current systems present flow restrictions. Typically in a stadium to allow people to exit, but not enter (or vice versa) barriers are used in the form of a turnstile, where a rotating element creates a moving space that a human can enter. As the rotating element moves, the human transfers from one side of the turnstile to the other. Barriers serve to limit movement in the other direction. Rotating doors are used in public buildings such as shops and airports. These allow people to move in either direction (into, or out of, the building). They also serve to reduce draughts and so reduce the heating or air conditioning costs. One disadvantage of rotating doors is that the throughput of people, for a given door width, can be quite low since something less than half the door aperture can be used for the progression of users in each direction. Turnstiles are even more limited in throughput of people, as one half of the rotating turnstile is ‘dead space’.
European Patent Application 0 921 262 A1 (Nisshin Steel) discloses a closure member comprising a flexible sheet curved wavily so as to wave in the horizontal direction and a drive which causes the flexible sheet to wave forward. A closure structure comprises this closure member and is further provided with a wall member on each side of the flexible sheet in the hill-to-valley direction in its side view, which may further be provided with a moving floor beneath the flexible sheet
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for regulating a flow of individual people or other animals through an aperture on a path from a first to a second location on the path wherein a movable closure member is located in the path and caused to generate along the path an entry region, a traversing region, and an exit region characterised by the steps of:
locating in the aperture a closure member defined by a sequence of discrete vertical elements;
providing for the displacement of at least some of the elements transverse the path so as to cause the barrier to reproduce a wave like motion in a direction along the path so as to cause the barrier to generate along the path:
the entry region which is open towards the first location but isolated from the second location;
the traversing region generated from the entry region by progressive movement of the barrier, and
the exit region generated from the traversing region by further progressive movement of the barrier, the exit region being open towards the second location but isolated from the first location; and
regulating the displacement of the elements so that adjacent elements in the barrier subject to regulated displacement cause the barrier to conform to one of a number of available pre-determined reproducible wave like pattern.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a flow control means for location within an aperture to regulate a flow of individual people or other animals through the aperture on a path from a first location on one side of the flow control means to a second location on the other side of the flow control means to the one side characterised by:
a barrier defined by a sequence of vertical elements;
means for driving the sequence of elements so that the barrier serves to generate one of a number of predetermined reproduced wave like forms between the first and second location such that the barrier serves to create in sequence:
an entry region for occupation by at least one individual which entry region is initially open towards the first location but isolated from the second location;
a traversing region on the path generated from the entry region by progressive movement of the barrier, and
an exit region open towards the second location but isolated by means of the barrier from the first location.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a flow control means for location within an aperture to regulate a flow or individual people or other animals on a flow path extending from a first location on one side of the flow control means to a second location on the other side of the flow control means characterised by:
a series of tracks extending transverse the flow path for location at or near an upper or lower boundary defined by the flow control means;
an individual support means extending into each track in the series thereof; each support means being associated with, and serving to support, an element of the barrier;
means for reciprocating an individual support along its track so as to cause support elements in the barrier to conform to one of a number of available predetermined patterns of reproduced wave like pattern such that during displacement the barrier serves to create in sequence:
an entry region for occupation by at least one individual which entry region is initially open towards the first location but isolated from the second location;
a traversing region on the path generated from the entry region by progressive movement of the barrier, and
an exit region open towards the second location but isolated by means of the barrier from the first location.
According to a preferred version of the second or third aspects the flow control means is adapted for use as a mobile structure.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a compound flow control means comprising two or more flow control means according to the second or third aspects.
According to yet another preferred version of the fourth aspect of the present invention the two or more flow control means are located side by side each in its own separate aperture and coupled for control as a unit. Typically the paths of each flow means are substantially parallel to one another.
According to a next preferred version of the present invention there is provided a structure equipped with a flow means according to the second, third or fourth aspects or any preferred versions thereof.
According to a sixth preferred version of the second or third aspects of the present invention there is provided a structure equipped with a flow control means according to the second or third aspects or the first preferred version thereof or a compound flow means according to the fourth or fifth aspects.
The term ‘barrier’ is herein used to describe an active flow controlling device having a more or less continuous mode of operation independently of the number of people or objects being allowed to flow. Other possible descriptive terms for flow control devices located in an aperture are ‘curtain’ or ‘door’ but these are inherently passive devices involving dependent on actual use by a user or object.
The present invention shows a novel way of implementing a one way barrier that allows use of the maximum aperture space available, and has a more pleasing, and less intimidating appearance than a turnstile. Two of the proposed barr
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Johnson Blair M.
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